


Like Chocolate: A Drabble Collection

by Angelike



Category: Loveless
Genre: Challenge Response, Community: 5sentence_fics, Drabble Collection, Flash Fiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-18
Updated: 2006-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-02 12:59:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 3,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelike/pseuds/Angelike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles written for the 5sentence_fics community on livejournal. Each story is exactly five sentences long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Like Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alicia](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Alicia).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Melts in the Mouth" prompt.

Soubi is chocolate to Ritsuka's senses. He comes in many flavors, from dark and bitter to creamy and sweet, and sometimes Ritsuka has to wonder if his sudden addiction is the result of his curious nature. What flavor will he be granted when they next meet? Will he find the Carmel crème center he so enjoys, or will he choke on the taste of something foreign and unfamiliar? Of one thing he can always be sure, however: Soubi will melt in his mouth.


	2. Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Breaking Bread/Fast" prompt.

Soubi never eats breakfast, but he can't bring himself to say so when he wakes to find Ritsuka (newly earless, but no less innocent) hovering awkwardly in the doorway with a tray full of food in his hands. His cheeks are flushed red with embarrassment and Soubi can't help but tease him a little, knowing full well that just a day previously the boy's tail would have been bristling at his words, but today the only sign of annoyance he receives is a warning glare. He'll miss that tail, and those adorable ears, but he can't bring himself to regret being the one to take them away. Smirking seductively, he beckons his lover closer and swipes a slice of buttered toast off the tray Ritsuka sets on the bed between them. Soubi never used to eat breakfast, but for Ritsuka he will.


	3. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Pin Drop" prompt.

The room goes eerily quiet after those fateful words fall from those lips—so quiet that they could have heard a pin drop. The silence is long between them, the moment stretching beyond the scope of reality and into eternity. _"Why doesn't he say anything?"_ Ritsuka wonders, wishing he couldn't feel each second ticking by quite so keenly. Finally, Soubi reaches out and shatters the silence. "I love you, too."


	4. Sin of Idolatry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Measure of a Man" prompt.

A younger Ritsuka had once idolized his older, wiser brother above all others. Naturally, because he loved this man best and couldn't imagine anyone kinder or more intelligent, all who were measured against him were found wanting. Even Soubi had fallen short of the ideal when Ritsuka first met him, only made interesting by his dim association with a dead brother. Now Ritsuka knew his mistake. A man should only be measured on the basis of his own actions, and never in connection to another.


	5. Rely on Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Death and Taxes" prompt.

"You can rely on me," Soubi smiled. "I will always be there for you. I love you."

"There are only two things I can rely on: death and taxes," Ritsuka huffed.

Soubi laughed.


	6. Vanity of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Pushing Forty" prompt.

Soubi is pushing forty, and Ritsuka can't help but laugh. For a man who was once so effortlessly beautiful, it is apparently quite traumatic to be suddenly sprouting gray hairs and showing signs of age. Soubi insists that Ritsuka has no right to find amusement at his plight—that he couldn't possibly understand, since he is a whole eight years younger and hardly looks a day over twenty-five—but Ritsuka is sure that it is, in fact, Soubi who doesn't understand. To him, it doesn't matter how old and gray and wrinkled Soubi gets, because thirty or forty years down the line they will both be old and gray and wrinkled _together_. Love doesn't disappear with youth, it merely matures with age.


	7. Working Rhythm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Two-Part Harmony" prompt.

When they had first started living together, it had been very awkward. Ritsuka had always been keenly aware of their differences, but until he had finally allowed Soubi to talk him into moving in with him, the differences hadn't seemed to matter much. The change in circumstances had been a real eye-opener, and for a while he hadn't been sure they were going to make it, but somehow they had fallen into a working rhythm of give-and-take. They had a two-part harmony now, and it was beautiful. He could no longer imagine living any other way.


	8. False Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Almost Too Late" prompt.

His heart was beating a million miles a minute, his clothes were splattered with blood, and all he could do was stare into the wild eyes of the boy kneeling in the crimson pool before him. "Soubi, why did you...?" the boy asked helplessly, but what could he say? He didn't understand it himself. All he knew was that one minute he had been poised to strike down his gentle Ritsuka—to kill the "false Sacrifice" as Seimei had commanded—and the next Seimei was dead at his feet. Almost too late, he had realized just who his true Sacrifice really was, and he could only pray Ritsuka would one day be able to forgive his blindness.


	9. Moments Like These

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Total Eclipse" prompt.

It's July 22 of the year 2009 and the seconds are ticking by as the total solar eclipse nears. Ritsuka, now nineteen and confident enough to know exactly what he wants, shifts closer to the dashing professor of art standing beside him. Neither of them speak, both waiting with bated breath for what is sure to be a spectacular sight as the moon slowly embraces the brightness of the suns rays, casting a long shadow on the city below. Soubi takes his hand, their fingers entertaining in a familiar and welcome gesture, and Ritsuka rests his head on his lovers shoulder, their gaze never adverting from the heavens. Moments like these were the ones that would last forever, both in their hearts and in memory.


	10. Enjoying the Amenities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was written in response to the "Morning Dip" prompt.

"What's the point of booking a room at a resort for the weekend if you aren't even going to enjoy the amenities?" Ritsuka growled, glaring at the blond-haired man standing before him, fully-clothed rather than decked out in swim wear as he was supposed to be.

"It's too early for swimming," Soubi explained, a faint smile on his lips. "I'll swim with you this afternoon." With that, Soubi pushed past him to find table on the other side of the pool where he could read his newspaper, but Ritsuka wasn't about to let the matter lie.

When Soubi surfaced from the water with a choked gasp, clothes plaster to his body in a very suggestive way and hair in a sopping wet mass of chaos, Ritsuka knew he going to die a very bloody death—but it was worth it!


	11. Don't Stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Police, Freeze!" prompt.

"I could get arrested for this, you know," Soubi murmured against his young lover's skin, lips trailing a path of fire down the boy's chest. "This could be construed as the corruption of a minor." The hands entangled in his hair tightened their grip—almost to a painful degree—as he paused in his ministrations to smirk up into the flushed face of the one he loved.

"Don't you dare stop," panted Ritsuka, his command coming out more like a mewling plea.

Soubi pressed a soft kiss to the soft flesh beneath him and smiled, laughter in his voice as he spoke: "I don't think I'd be able to stop now, even if the police came bursting through the door right this minute, so have no fear—your ears are as good as mine!"


	12. Keepsake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Paperweight" prompt.

Kio didn't understand why he was so fond of the paperweight. It wasn't particularly fancy, nor was it expensive—just a round bit of glass with a flat bottom and a few swirls of blue to add a little color. It was the sort of thing you could buy anywhere, really, so why Soubi was so protective of the babble was no doubt considered very peculiar (and maybe a little crazy) to anyone who didn't know it's origin, but then again Soubi had never spared much care for the way others perceived him (with perhaps one or two exceptions). No matter how Kio mocked him for prizing something so trivial, the fact still remained that when he ran his fingers over the smooth surface and tested the weight of it in the palm of his hand, it wasn't the object itself that held him so captivated, but rather the memory of receiving it. Ritsuka had blushed so prettily that day as he held out the carefully wrapped box with an adorably gruff apology for not knowing what to give him for his birthday, and Soubi never wanted to forget the feeling that had swelled within him as he accepted the gift Ritsuka so innocently offered: hope.


	13. Starting Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "White Room/Yellow Handprint" prompt.

Everyone who visited Ritsuka in his small, Spartan-like dorm room wondered at the strange handprint on the wall centered just above the headboard of his bed, the sunshine yellow of the paint clearly standing out against the stark white of the rest of his space. The print was too big to be his own and certainly didn't belong to a woman, though the fingers were long and slender, so the idea that his "secret girlfriend" had left her mark on the wall was quickly discarded. Ritsuka always smiled mysteriously when asked and made some cryptic remark that left all of his college friends more determined to solve the mystery than before, but this was one secret the foreign boy was content to keep to himself.

Only at night, when he alone, did Ritsuka dare to reach up to place his hand against the only remnant of his previous life he allowed himself, smiling softly at the memory of the man he loved so dearly leaving this mark as a means by which to comfort him in his loneliness while attending school in this strange country. He still wasn't ready to entirely accept his role as Soubi's lover and Sacrifice (he lacked the confidence) but when he returned to Japan, he knew would be—he would finally be able to put the past behind him and forsake his destiny as "Loveless" for a new future with the one he held most dear.


	14. Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Stay With Me" prompt.

Ritsuka was sick, and Soubi was helpless. Strange how one of the most powerful Fighters in the world could face off against any number of foes for the sake of his dearest Sacrifice without even batting an eyelash, but the moment illness struck, he was at a loss. Seeing the boy he had come to hold so dear to his heart looking so fragile and defenseless left him feeling so useless and pathetic, because he knew very well that no amount of word-spells could possibly ease the suffering of the one he had sworn to protect.

"I don't know what to do for you," he whispered pathetically, pressing his lips against the clammy skin of the flushed and bedridden boy.

Ritsuka's eyes were glazed with fever, but his response was clear: "Just stay with me."


	15. Leaving the Past Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Walking Tall" prompt.

Ritsuka's mother was screaming and his father was gazing at him with disgust, but his determined expression never faltered as he stared them down. "I'll come back tomorrow for my things," he repeated calmly, but the pain in his eyes and the white-knuckled fists at his side belied his grief. Soubi marveled at just how strong the boy was standing before him, defying the parents that had abused and neglected him for so long—finally daring to hope for something more than a loveless existence.

That pathetic excuse for a father was lecturing again, speaking words of damnation, but Ritsuka was already turning away, turning to face the one that he loved, and Soubi was holding out his hand with a tender smile. His newfound lover accepted the comforting gesture, intertwining their fingers without hesitation, and walked away from all the pain and misery of his past.


	16. Stolen Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Crazy Like a Fox" prompt.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka called worriedly, biting his lip as he neared the man sprawled out across the couch. It wasn't like him to fall asleep during the middle of the day, the boy mused as he hovered over the slumbering man, wondering if he should leave now and come back later. Soubi had claimed it would be alright if he came to study at his apartment, but then again he wasn't the type of man to say no to even the most problematic of requests where he was concerned...

Ritsuka sighed, decision made, and reached over to grasp the blanket carelessly thrown over the back of the couch so that he might make the older man a little more comfortable, only to cry out in alarm as a pair of arms wrapped firmly around him to tug him down for a kiss. By the time Ritsuka finally managed to pull back far enough to offer a half-hearted glare at the wide-awake and smirking fighter beneath him, he was well aware of the fact that he had been tricked - but somehow he couldn't bring himself to be as angry over a stolen kiss as he once might have been.


	17. Gradual Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Years of Erosion" prompt.

It didn't happen overnight. Ritsuka didn't wake up one morning and suddenly realize that when Soubi said, "I love you," his heart whispered, "I love you, too." No, it was far more gradual than that, the affection he felt for the older man increasing steadily as the days, months, and years trickled slowly by. As the pain for the loss of the brother he realized he never really knew lessened, his attachment to his self-proclaimed Fighter strengthened until at last he could not imagine life without him.

As his relationship with the older man progressed from that of Fighter and Sacrifice to friendship and, at last, to lovers, it wasn't because his heart underwent some sudden transformation, but rather because that was the natural progression of things; however, he had no regrets over never experiencing a sudden and passionate love, for he knew that he had a love that would satisfy him long into the future—after all, passion is a flame that fizzles out, but true love lasts forever.


	18. Anytime, Day or Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Interruption" prompt.

"—and my father is out of town on business again and today is the anniversary of Seimei's death and mother has been experiencing her _mood swings_ again and—"

Soubi studied the babbling boy huddled in the front door of his apartment through bleary eyes, mind still muddled from having been woken in the middle of the night by the ringing of his doorbell, and wondered if he was dreaming.

"—and then I remembered what you said about being able to come to you anytime, day or night, and I—"

"Ritsuka," said Soubi, deciding that, indeed, he _wasn't_ dreaming, and realizing that he really needed to interrupt the boy before his embarrassment at revealing his vulnerability could transform into hysterics, "come to bed."

The boy fell silent at these words, all tension draining from his tiny body, as he nodded tiredly and allowed himself to be taken by the hand and led through the darkness of the older man's apartment and into the bedroom.


	19. The Story of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Just the Beginning" prompt.

"So," Ritsuka remarked, brushing his fingers across the intricate symbols of the epitaph of the headstone he was kneeling before, eyes glazed with unshed tears, "it's finally over."

The arms around him tightened, and he leaned back into the embrace with a heavy heart, seeking solace from the memories he was certain would haunt him for the rest of eternity.

_He really is dead..._

"One act of our lives may be over," his lover murmured into his ear, the elder man's voice thick with his own sorrow, "but the curtain is just rising on the next act; the story of our love is just beginning."

For once, Ritsuka allowed himself the luxury of hope.


	20. Soubi's Prize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Box of Cracker Jacks" prompt.

"Cracker Jacks?" questioned Soubi, eying the box Ritsuka held in his hands curiously.

"You mean, you've never even heard of them before?" Ritsuka asked, looking positively dumbfounded when his Fighter shook his head negatively. True, it was an American snack treat, but _everyone_ should have at least _heard_ of them.

"Fine, then," he decided, nodding curtly, "you'll just have to share mine with me—but the prize inside the box is mine."

Soubi smirked, reaching out with gentle fingers to caress the young Sacrifice's face: "I already have my prize, anyway."


	21. The Price of Self-Confidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Proud as a Peacock" prompt.

Soubi could be as proud as a peacock when he wanted to be, but Ritsuka couldn't bring himself to hold this against him; after all, he could still remember those first tedious months following their introduction and all the ways his lover had debased and abused himself in the name of love. It had taken years to dissuade his self-appointed Fighter that love wasn't all about submission and mind-games—a disconcerting misconception resulting from years of conditioning at the hands of some truly cruel masters—and even now the man tended to be a little too passive and accommodating in the face of his wishes. If a little vanity on his love's behalf was the price he had to pay for restoring the man's self-confidence, then it was one he would pay gladly.

"So," asked Soubi, strutting into the room, "do I look ready for a night on the town?" Ritsuka glanced up at his lover, taking in the stunningly sexy mixture of leather and fishnet, and wondered if Soubi would be willing to take a rain check on their plans to go clubbing; a private party for two suddenly sounded far more appealing.


	22. White Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Sandpaper Eyes" prompt.

When the boy looks at him with those sandpaper eyes, his heart bleeds.

His Ritsuka is constantly searching for the truth behind his words, the motives behind his actions, and the answers to a thousand other unvoiced questions; sometimes he wishes the youth was more trusting, so he wouldn't have to _feel_ every time that doubting gaze fell on him—but then he remembers that the boy has reason to doubt.

Experience embedded in the youth all the harshest lessons of reality at an all-too-tender age, and nothing Soubi can do will erase the pain of betrayal and the agony of years of neglect.

All he can do is offer a brighter future and hope that one day Ritsuka will believe him when he utters those three words that mean the world: "I love you."

Maybe someday he'll even believe himself.


	23. First Coffee of the Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Cup of Coffee" prompt.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and it was not until after he finished his morning coffee that he realized that he didn't remember ever pouring said cup of coffee in the first place—or starting the coffee machine, for that matter.

He blinked lethargically, glancing around the kitchen with feigned disinterest, and wondered if he was possibly going crazy—a thought that didn't seem all that farfetched when his eyes fell on a sight he had once feared he would never see: a smug and _earless_ Ritsuka, clothed only in one of his old button-down shirts, watching him from his perch at the edge of the kitchen counter.

"You're not a morning person, are you?" the boy commented, eyes glowing with amusement.

Soubi smiled softly, reaching out to welcome his young lover into his lap, and murmured softly into the boy's hair: "You never stay the whole night through."

Ritsuka grasped the older man's arms tightly, almost hesitantly, and leaned back into his embrace with a near-whispered reply: "From now on, I'm going to make your coffee every morning."


	24. The Power of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "Drop in the Ocean" prompt.

Once upon a time, he had felt small and insignificant.

He was a boy without a past and with little hope for the future. The world was dark and bleak, and some days it was all he could do to continue going through the motions, pretending there was nothing wrong with him, when in fact everything was wrong, and nothing was right—and he sometimes worried that, maybe, nothing would ever be right again.

He was a single drop in the ocean, unworthy of notice and incapable of running against the current of fate, even if he were able to gather the courage to attempt such an action—until a man named Soubi came along.

Love is a power even fate cannot challenge.


	25. Uncertainty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in response to the "You've Got a Friend" prompt.

"What am I to you?"

Soubi blinked, turning a confused gaze on the boy sprawled out across the bedroom floor, surrounded by a number of schoolbooks, and wondered if his Sacrifice was studying too hard: "What do you mean?"

"Are we friends?" the youth asked quietly, eyes fixated on the floor. "I've never had a friend before, so I don't really know."

"I'm not sure what we are—" Soubi replied cautiously, "—all I'm sure of is that I love you."


End file.
